The Ask: You Had Them At Hello

The biggest mistake fundraisers make is to NOT ask. Beginning with the fundamental principles of philanthropy, including our intrinsic desire to make a difference, this presentation builds from the most basic of fundraising techniques to a crescendo of solicitation techniques. With more than 2 decades of successful experience in nonprofit organizational leadership, with a strength in donor relationships, Jean Baugh Krisle is both instructional and inspirational in her approach to training and motivating those in the nonprofit ranks. A firm belief in the good of her fellow mankind, Jean approaches the role of fundraiser as one of facilitation. When asking a potential donor to support a worth cause, a fundraiser is simply providing an opportunity and choice to someone (if the prep work was done correctly) who already wants to give. It's the questions of how much and to whom that the donor may still be wrestling with. This is the role of a successful development professional - the fundraiser - to provide options and build trust. If you didn't have them at hello, Jean would argue that you approached them too soon and without the appropriate background preparation in place. This presentation will inspire fundraisers to work harder, remind them of the honor in their profession, and instruct them in fundraising minutiae that is often overlooked, but can make the difference between a $100 donor and a $10,000 donor. She follows this with strong reminders and suggestions of best practice efforts to stay connected to your donors and cultivate those important relationships. Jean will provide instruction on how an organization, through management and the development officer, can better set realistic goals for fundraising, build an effective (and used) development calendar, and increase revenue annually. Providing real life, personal experiences of where her efforts have literally turned $100 donors into $10,000 partners, Jean never fails to motivate her audience and inspire them to higher effort.